Kings can do anything: what powers does Elizabeth II have (23 photos)

Do you think that old lady Elizabeth II, Queen of Great Britain, is only a queen in words, but in fact does not have any powers and does not decide anything? No matter how it is! Although the old lady does not interfere in politics, in reality she decides a lot. And if he wants, he can kick the prime minister's ass. What powers does she have and what does she have?





Parliament opens every year



So, Elizabeth II opens parliament every year in May to begin the new parliamentary year. There are a lot of ceremonial nuances here. For example, the Queen wears the Crown of the British Empire, leads a ceremonial procession only through the Queen's Gallery in Westminster, and then reads an address to the two houses of Parliament - the Commons and the Lords. And this is the only meeting where they all get together.

Owns a zoo





Of course, this is not an entirely correct expression, but according to the law of 1324, the monarch owns all sturgeon, dolphins and whales in the waters of England and Wales.

There are not very many of them in British waters, and commercial fishing is prohibited. That is, if a fisherman suddenly comes across a sterlet, they are required by law to release it. Even dead.



And Elizabeth also owns all the swans living on the Thames River and its tributaries. And they are counted every year: they are ringed and released.

Signs laws



Parliament develops and creates laws, but they cannot come into force until the Queen personally signs them. If she agrees with the law, then she signs it, but if she says “no,” there is no trial.

True, refusals to sign laws are extremely rare. The last time this happened was in 1708. Then Queen Anne Stuart vetoed measures to restructure the Scottish armed forces.

Personal ATM



Yes, yes, although the Queen does not have a passport, in the basement of Buckingham Palace there is a Coutts ATM - it belongs to the oldest and most prestigious British bank.

By the way, Elizabeth II does not have a passport because formally all these documents are issued on behalf of the monarch. But all other members of the royal family have a passport: they are all her subjects.

But she can also confiscate passports. So it would be better if Meghan Markle and Harry did not allow themselves such liberties.

Can appoint ministers herself



Although most government officials are appointed by voting, the Queen can independently appoint ministers of the Crown. Including advisers and cabinet employees.

Most often, she gives preference to existing members of parliament. But the prime minister can also exercise this right.

Drives without a license



Rights are also issued on behalf of the monarch, and from a legal point of view in the UK, only she can do this.

Those close to her say that Elizabeth is a good driver, and she learned to drive a car during World War II. Then the princess's duties included driving a sanitary truck.



Once she even shocked the Prince of Saudi Arabia Abdullah ibn Abdul-Aziz Al Saud: in his country then only men could drive. But the Queen of Great Britain took him for a ride along the Scottish roads, innocently chatting about secular topics. At some point, he even asked to drive slower and not be distracted from the road.



Pardon



If the Queen sees fit, she can grant a "royal pardon" to convicted criminals. True, she does not use this opportunity very often.

Previously, the meaning of this power was to save people from the death penalty. Now it is used in special cases, and most often to shorten the period. So, in 2001, the Queen reduced the sentences of two prisoners as a reward for saving a prison worker from a wild boar attack.

Personal poet



Carol Anne Duffy, the Queen's personal poet

The Queen has a personal poet, who receives a barrel of sherry every year as his salary.

Commander-in-Chief



Although Elizabeth is already quite old, she is still the Commander-in-Chief of the British Armed Forces.



Absolutely every British soldier swears allegiance to the monarch. The Queen has the right to transfer her position as Commander-in-Chief to a government official. But most often it is the prime minister or the minister of defense.



Two birthdays



In Great Britain, there is a tradition according to which the monarch can choose any day as his birthday, as long as he was not born in the summer. This is because citizens have the right to celebrate the holiday in the warm season.



Elizabeth II was born on April 21, so she has the right to celebrate her birthday twice. In the spring, cannon fires are fired in her honor in various London parks, and a parade is held in June.

The Queen usually celebrates her second birthday not on a specific date, but on a specific day. Usually Saturday is chosen, although at the beginning of the reign preference was given to Thursday.

Militant



The only person in Great Britain who can declare war is Queen Elizabeth II. But she will only do this in the event of a major conflict and only with the approval of the prime minister, parliament and the rest of the government.



During her entire long reign, the queen never used this right once. The last monarch to declare war was her father, King George VI, who declared war on Hitler in 1939.

Can be secretive



In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, the British press can request absolutely any information from the state and publish it. We are not talking about classified materials, but journalists still have such a right.

But this no longer applies to the British family because of The Guardian journalists who tried to obtain letters from Prince Charles to the Cabinet. Therefore, now it is not easy to extract information not only from the queen, but also from her family.

Bossy



The Queen can dissolve Parliament and hold new elections. True, the top of the Cabinet is not subject to this dissolution. So Johnson may be in office for a long time.

Generous



Elizabeth can bestow honorary titles on British citizens for certain merits. Which ones are up to her to decide.

Still rules here and there



Queen Elizabeth is the current monarch of more than a dozen independent states. This is a community of nations that is nominal in nature, but Elizabeth II is actively establishing diplomatic, cultural and economic relations between these countries. By the way, she is popular in them. He also traditionally delivers an address for the New Year.

These are countries such as Australia, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Canada, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Jamaica .

And the Queen is also terribly rich - not long ago journalists found out that her fortune is as much as 350 million pounds. And the entire palace of the monarch is full of various strange traditions. So it goes. What didn't you know about the queen?